Propylene-based copolymers, a method of making the fibers and articles made from the fibers

US7101622B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• DOW GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC · US

Inventors

• Andy C. Chang · Houston, US
• Hong Peng · Lake Jackson, US
• Jozef Van Dun · Horgen, CH
• Randy E. Pepper · Lake Jackson, US
• Edward N. Knickerbocker · Lake Jackson, US
• Antonios K. Doufas · Houston, US
• Rajen M. Patel · Lake Jackson, US
• Lizhi Liu · Lake Jackson, US
• Byron Day · Canton, US
• Stephen M. Englebert · Canton, US
• Joy Francine Jordan · Marietta, US
• Renette E. Richard · Atlanta, US
• Christian Sanders · Winston-Salem, US
• Varunesh Sharma · Atlanta, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 18, 2005
• Grant date: Sep 5, 2006
• Expiry date: Mar 18, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T442/681
• WIPO field: Textile and paper machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

Fibers that exhibit good elasticity or extensibility and tenacity, and low modulus are prepared from propylene-based copolymers. The propylene-based copolymers comprise at least about 50 weight percent (wt %) of units derived from propylene and at least about 8 wt % of units derived from one or more comonomers other than propylene, e.g., ethylene. Particularly preferred propylene copolymers are characterized as having 13C NMR peaks corresponding to a regio-error at about 14.6 and about 15.7 ppm, the peaks of about equal intensity. In one aspect of the invention, fibers are subjected to stress-induced crystallization by subjecting the fiber to tensile elongation during draw.